iPhone 6 A8 processor production is underway at TSMC

This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this page. Terms of use.

As with all smartphone makers, Apple is busily planning new devices many months before we have the opportunity to get our hands on them. The iPhone 5S is still only about halfway through its life cycle, but Cupertino is certainly hard at work on its successor, probably called iPhone 6. Reports from Taiwan claim that Apple’s next-generation A8 ARM chip is already being produced, but it’s happening at TSMC instead of Samsung.

Apple’s A7 custom ARM chip was a big step forward for the company. It made the switch to a new custom Cyclone CPU core based on the ARMv8 instruction set. That allowed Apple to tout it at the first 64-bit ARM chip and offer improved power efficiency. The usual naming scheme for Apple’s processors would make the next one the A7x, but if A8 is correct that could indicate a more substantial improvement.

The move to TSMC is backed by a separate report from the Wall Street Journal last year. Samsung has been responsible for manufacturing many of Apple’s components in the past, including the ARM chips. However, there have been reports of escalating tensions as Samsung continues to expand its smartphone market share. The Korean OEM sells about 30% of smartphones globally — roughly twice Apple’s share. There was also that nasty trademark dispute that is still being sorted out in the courts.

The recently announced Samsung Galaxy S5 seems to have the right mix of features to take on the iPhone 5S, but iPhone fever is going to pick up soon. This updated ARM chip is just one aspect of Apple’s continuing war.